


Letters Home

by Dumnonii_Canton



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Real Person Fiction
Genre: Critique of Digital Law, M/M, Self-Reflection, Self-Worth Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-02-24 13:43:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13214961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dumnonii_Canton/pseuds/Dumnonii_Canton
Summary: After Dan left to work at a company that was offering more, he wrote letters back home. Phil would always answer back. They had been apart for over a year, and letters weren't quite enough anymore.





	Letters Home

_I know that I already wrote to you just a few days ago, but I'm getting more anxious, I guess._

Dan stared at the computer screen again, wishing that he could get through the training as quickly as possible, to get lost in the monotony of work and hurry on his way. He could almost convince himself that this had all been worth it. Being away from home had been nerve-wracking the moment that he got on the plane out of London towards Windsor.

He looked outside, admiring the trees and green. There was more than he had seen in the last six years living in London, but it didn't hold any new feeling for him to become enraptured by. He only found himself missing home; he even found himself missing his almost daily training.

He clicked on the next indicated icon.

{Index file: A.HS.05.11}

The file contained letters, documents, and images that Dan now had to navigate through. He had imagined this giving him more fulfillment when he had signed up for the new program for Interweb Singularity.

It had been so inconsequential, the new YouTube program, but soon, every YouTuber that Dan and Phil knew were taking month-long trips to attend the I.S. conventions. It became such a part of the career-field as other YouTubers began to get more offers for work and collaborations, and Dan noticed that he and Phil were losing revenue.

Not that Dan had too much to begin with; his content wasn't always so welcoming to the YouTube layman. It was Phil's channel that had begin to nosedive, revenue tanking and, soon, their merchandise site was sending them electronic notices about the integrity of the site domain.

Somehow, their website didn't belong to them anymore. Their gaming channel was getting slammed with notices of copyright infringement on games that didn't have any valid claim through the earlier site rules; even Phil's _The_ Mark _of Oxin_ was being flagged, due to the music and program that was used. Phil took it upon himself to handle the legal issues as Dan took down note of every infringement that had been claimed against them, in case they would have to do something so meticulous to defend themselves in a court of law.

Their YouNow videos were being taken down, only saved by fanatics of their channels who were hurrying to save their videos.

Three weeks ago, they had gotten an email from YouTube itself.

> Dear Daniel Howell (same name) and AmazingPhil (Phil Lester),
> 
> Through the new digital law, The Interwebs Singular Initiative, Section A, Paragraph 2, you both have been cited for piracy and copyright violations. This is punishable through, though not limited to:
> 
> Removal of incriminating content; suspension from YouTube, DailyMotion, and Vimeo; "freezing" of accounts related to/mentioned on YouTube that are owned by the above party/-ies that hold incriminating material; "freezing" of websites related to/mentioned on YouTube that are own by the above party/-ies that hold incriminating material; and removal of revenue-connections that occur through advertisement, sponsorship, and other activities related to collaborative effort with other brands, products, or persons.
> 
> However, if one or both go through the Interwebs Singularity Legal and Technical Course, you are both able to reapply to reinstate the integrity of your content, related web services/products, and revenue.
> 
> Here are the following locations and contacts in the upcoming months for program registration:

"I'll go," Dan had said. "I had enough of schooling to know that this legal shit shouldn't be happening."

"Are you sure? I heard the program is longer than a month now." Phil bit at his lip, glasses somewhat crooked on his nose as he went through the bank account again, trying to determine how much they had left for bills and other things. They had still been getting money from their books; of course, print and physically published media would escape a digital law.

"I should go. I was the one that blew all of this off more," Dan insisted. "Besides, it might just get us some more information on what has been happening... Hell, maybe it's not as bad as it sounds. I mean, Tom, Jacksepticeye, and Pewdiepie are getting more deals and branding now, with their legal merch."

Losing their online store had been hard. Their new calendar, puppies and flowers and them looking quite good, had been sold out for a month, and now their fans couldn't get any. Dan could feel their disappointment when he had posted a new video discussing their view on the I.S.I, some fans replying with exasperation at the reveal that they had not integrated themselves into the new system. Others jumped to their defense, as some of the videos were old and shouldn't have to be held to the new internet legal standards.

Dan pushed it all out of his head for a moment, sighing. His body felt heavy, and he wanted desperately to hide, but he couldn't, not when he watched Phil try to come up with new scripts and manage the emails and phone calls with legal representation. Even if they went to court for this, _they_ would have to present the majority of the evidence and argue validity of claims; prosecution was a dangerous place to stay in.

"I hope it's not too long." Phil's words held a strong wish, one that Dan felt in the pit of his stomach. It turned itself over, nausea creeping upward into his throat and inciting acid to projectile itself through his mouth.

"I'll call you. Whenever I can."

I.S.I did not allow calls.

They did not allow email.

_I can't believe I have to write an old fashioned letter to you. Lame!_

The green on Windsor was inviting, but two years was grating on him from the moment the length of time had slipped from the managers' lips.

Somehow, his letters with Phil had helped him survive the anxiety and loss for a whole year.

_I miss you._

He didn't know how much longer he could last.


End file.
